Hero of Remnant: Veil of the Aether

by Aetherveil

Following after the events of the Volume 3 Arc, Dante, and his partner Inuba travel across Remnant to make their way to Haven, searching for clues that will lead them to the real mastermind behind the attack on Vale 6 months prior. They will meet allies, both old and new, and face challenging new enemies on their journey. Secrets will be revealed. Continuation of Hero of Remnant.

67. Chapter 67: The Umbral Star

Hey hey, looks like I kept my word.

Okay, I'm a day late, but there's still a lot for me to do around here, amongst other things.

I played the DOOM Eternal DLC and... thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not gonna lie, the DLC genuinely makes the standard game look like a tutorial. The DLC is damn tough, but still exciting and fun nonetheless. My Standards and expectations were met, and I am a happy shotgun blasting, chain-sawing boy.

In any case though, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

---

Chapter 67: The Umbral Star

«»

---

- Nearly two years ago -

"Huh?" Dante asked, still dumbstruck by the Student Council President's demand.

She smiled, leaning back in her seat and folding her hands back together.

"I think you heard full well what I meant. But for the sake of posterity, I'll repeat myself again." She spoke, "I want you to be mine."

The young devil looked between the girl and her two lackies, still completely confused. A few seconds more and he simply raised his hands up and began walking towards the door.

"Wait a moment."

"Look, I'm not buying whatever kinky shit you're selling. And before I get myself into a situation I really don't want to be in, I'm going home regardless of whether you revoked my privileges or not. So, bye." He waved.

"I could suspend you."

"Try it. I honestly don't care." Dante shrugged, "I already told you before, but I very well would have outlasted you. I just dropped by out of curiosity, and definitely got surprised. Bye."

"Mr. Dante."

The young devil titled his head upwards, sighing as he spun around and outstretched his arms briefly, as if he were asking her "What?".

"You do realize I was fibbing to an extent, do you not?"

"Gee, how would I ever have guessed?"

"I'll be frank now." She said, standing up and placing her hands on the table, "At the moment, our staff is fairly shorthanded."

"You seemed to have a good amount of people."

"Regardless, there are still some gaps left that I'd like cemented."

"Shit…" Dante muttered under his breath.

He couldn't believe it. She was actually trying to recruit him. Not only that, but he now had to pay Blanc.

"Look, I don't know you, least of all your name, and you definitely-"

"Dante. No last name. Currently number one in academics here at this school and in the Kingdom. No sports played whatsoever, yet you seemingly have both intense and absurd physicality given your… tapestry of reports regarding fights, both on campus and off campus." The President reported with a coy smile, "And seemingly… An individual that popped up out of nowhere sometime around last year. A little detail to be sure, but still the most curious one of them all."

She did her homework… Fantastic…

"Alright, props to you Creeper Girl. Seems you do know some things about me. Still…" The teen said as he placed his hands on his hips, "Who the Hell are you exactly?"

"Hey, show some respect! She's the Student Council President!" One of the lackies spoke up.

"Hey hey hey, the adults are talking right now, so zip it. Okay?"

"You-!"

The blonde girl raised her hand up to silence her friend, looking back to Dante.

"Anya. Anya Lucentia."

"Anya, huh… Well Anya, I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm not interested in whatever position you want to give me."

"You don't even want to know what position I'm trying to recruit you for?"

"I'm not gonna be your treasurer or secretary."

"Fitting positions, but I'm happy to inform you it's neither of those."

"Janitor?" Dante asked.

Anya giggled to herself, moving around the large, wooden, lacquered round table at the center of the room to get closer to the young devil.

"I want you to be my Head of the Disciplinary Committee."

…

…

"Come again?"

The President hummed, "The previous Head graduated right after I was instated as the current President. Unfortunately, no one has stepped up to fill his position, nor have I found anyone worthwhile enough to fill the position. Until now."

"Ok… But why me?" Dante asked.

"You have a reputation, Mr. Dante."

"Yeah, for getting into fights and not entirely following the rules. So help me understand your reasoning here, because I'm starting to think your logic's a bit screwy."

"Almost every fight or rule breaking that has occurred on campus has always had you lurking in the background somewhere. And as I recall from the reports, you were always there to put a stop to things or defend others when we or the teachers were blind to some situations." Anya reported, "The same thing can be said for your activities off campus as well. At least for the matters we've been able to gather information on."

"Look, I don't know-"

"Mr. Dante. Please." The girl said as she stepped up closer to Dante, making him take a single step back, "There's honestly no one else better suited to this role other than you. We need people of your caliber and disposition more than anything. More importantly… we need someone like you, who isn't afraid to do the right thing. Regardless of what position he's placed into."

…

This was… a lot to take in. Flattery aside, she was making fair points. Dante didn't take shit from anyone, regardless of who they were or what their status was. If they were hurting others, and if he could help it, he'd stop them.

…

To hell with it… Not like I've had much to do these days anyway…

"Do I get free snacks?" Dante asked.

"Yes."

"What about coffee?"

"Yes."

"Green tea?"

"That as well."

"Can I go home early like I used to?"

"No." Anya said, making Dante sigh, "However… If you have an honest to god emergency that requires you to leave immediately, I'll allow it as soon as you phone in and let me know."

That was fair, for the most part.

"So then… Will I have the pleasure of accepting you into the Student Council as our Head of the Disciplinary Committee, Mr. Dante?" Anya asked, reaching her hand out.

…

There was a part of Dante telling him to just walk out the door and never come back. That shaking her hand and accepting her offer would be more trouble than what it'd be worth.

And yet…

At the same time, a large part of him was screaming that it'd be a huge mistake to ignore her and leave.

This girl, Anya… She was strange. From Dante's perspective, absurdly so. But that brimming confidence, and the way she faced him down without flinching, all while seeking a fair compromise…

It was fascinating to him.

At the moment, that was really the only thing that was driving him to accept her offer. His fascination with this unafraid and oddly curious girl.

Not a sense of duty, or a sense of justice or anything fancy of the sort.

Just an absurd jolt of curiosity.

Dante sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at Anya and clasped her hand to shake it.

"Fine. I'll work with you. Just so you know, if I'm not liking things, I'll leave any time I want."

"That's fine by me, Mr. Dante. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Curiosity and fascination. These two things would be the start of an epic chapter in Dante's life, a chapter that revolved around both him and this odd girl that sought him out.

It would be a chapter revolving around the joy, happiness, pains and the long, twisting road the two would walk together. And unknown to Dante at the time…

Their relationship would become one of the many painful wounds he bore across his life thus far. It would be a wound that his heart never truly healed from.

---

- Present Day -

"You sure you don't want to stay with us?" Dante asked.

"It's fine, boy. I've already paid for a room at a local inn. I may as a well get my money's worth." Sêrythîl answered as she walked down the road, "I'll see you outside of town early tomorrow."

"How early?"

"When you can hear the birds chirping!" She shouted back, waving goodbye as she turned the corner.

Dante shook his head with a sigh, entering the Cotta-Arc household. As soon as he stepped inside, he heard a scraping noise, and then felt something plop onto him, tiny hands pulling at his ears.

"Hey hey, what's with the ninja business?" The devil asked, holding Kianna out in front of him.

The little dragon girl was giving him a pouty look, then proceeded to angrily gnaw on his fingers with her sharp teeth.

"W-What? Are you angry or something?"

She huffed once and continued biting.

…

He was out too long. Even worse, he didn't really say much about where he was going.

"Look, I had business to take care of. I'm sorry I couldn't come home sooner. But this kind of thing will happen sometimes." Dante explained, Kianna stopping her biting and looking at Dante with a pouty look still, "The world's in trouble right now, and sometimes I'm gonna have to leave for a while. So don't get mad, alright? Besides… Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, so you can count on me coming back always. Ok?"

The little dragon girl was still being pouty, slapping her hands down on his once.

"It's past your bedtime, you know?"

She growled a little, and Dante smirked, understanding her sentiment all too well at the idea of "bedtime". She was a sort of Dragon Faunus. Of course she'd have all sorts of energy. But, he had to do the responsible thing regardless.

"Come on Chompy, time to sleep."

She growled a little, her little wings flapping to fly away. Dante held onto her tight and carried her upstairs quickly, eager to join the conversation downstairs. The devil found his mother's room, and found a small, leather armrest chair that was already covered with a warm blanket and had a pillow waiting.

When he set her down, the teen roamed over to the cabinet near the bed and grabbed a small, black blanket, covering Kianna with it. The dragon girl cooed happily despite her earlier protests, and kicked her feet about playfully. She settled down soon after, and as if realization dawned on her, she placed her little legs against the other end of the arm chair, kicking her feet up essentially.

She giggled triumphantly at her show of quick thinking, smirking at Dante with a toothy grin.

"Well look at you. Aren't you a smart little Nugget?" The teen said, also impressed, "See? Bedtime isn't so bad. And you get to kick up your feet like you own the place."

The devil nuzzled his finger under her chin, Kianna cooing happily before she began nibbling on his finger again, only this time in a playful manner.

"Alright. Goodnight, Little FireSpitter."

She hummed twice, as if saying goodnight through her syllabic hums.

The young devil found a dial near the wall, cranking it down a little to dim the nightlight above Kianna before he left the room.

As he made his way downstairs, the teen's ears focused on the voices below, hearing his friends around about certain plans.

"I leave for ten minutes and you guys are playing Uno without me."

"Where are the cards?!" Nora asked eagerly.

Dante shook his head with a smile.

"So then… I'm assuming you got my message?" Dante asked everyone in the room.

"We did, but… I'm not sure we understood what you meant."

Dante stepped towards the center of the room.

"Aside from our plans to get to Atlas, I'm sorry to say we've got another problem on our hands. One that'll likely trump our current problem."

Jaune sat up in his chair as Ren and Nora looked between each other in confusion. RWBY gathered in closer to listen, and even Dante's mother and sister straightened up to listen. Oscar sat down in a small stool to prepare himself, and Qrow and Maria leaned in closer, while Inuba and Dawn stood next to Dante.

"It's no secret to all of you here that I'm not a denizen of this World. Unfortunately, this might also goes for some... supernatural beings as well."

"Supernatural?" Oscar asked.

The young devil crossed his arms, sighing, "I'm afraid to inform you that… we may have an Invasion Event on our hands."

Inuba's fox ears perked up as she gave Dante a shocked look.

"Invasion?" Maria spoke up.

"As some of you know, beings known as Dark Entities, or Demons for most, exist. Unfortunately, I came across one tonight, a Fledgling. But it wasn't just any other Dark Entity. It was an Infiltrator."

"W-What does that mean..?" Weiss asked.

"It means that if my suspicions are correct, there's an invasion force lying in wait nearby." Dante spoke solemnly, everyone giving him a concerned look.

"There's an army of them nearby..?" Oscar asked, turning pale a little.

"That's right. And as you already know, these things aren't like Grimm. They're more brutal. More violent. More cruel with their ways to torture you. Even the Lesser Entities, with what little of a thought process they have, will focus all their ambition on hunting you and making you suffer horribly. So in essence, you can understand why a small army of these things hiding out somewhere is something absolutely terrible."

"What do we do then?"

"Not we. Me. For the most part." Dante answered, "We're going to delay our plan to leave for Atlas to time my return appropriately. Meaning in three days time, I'll have hopefully wiped them all out, and will join you almost as soon as you guys start."

"But we still haven't figured out what we're going to do exactly." Blake said, "And now that you're bringing up an invasion force of… of supernatural beings…"

"Like I said, I'll handle it. I've already recruited someone new to our cause in going to Atlas, but I'll be taking them with me tomorrow along with Noland. All of you on the third day are going to engage in the heist."

"Heist?" Ruby asked.

"That's right. Heist. We're stealing a ship to Atlas, and they'll hand it over willingly."

"I don't think you've realized it, but that's an Atlas military base full of guys armed to the teeth." Yang said.

"Precisely. Which is why we'll be using good old deception." Dante pointed, "We'll walk in Weiss under the pretense that she's changed her mind and wants to return home to her family. Ciel, you and Musashi will be going with her and act as her bodyguards, or hired help."

"Gotcha." The youngest Aetherveil replied, resting her head in the lap of her dragon faunus girlfriend.

"Ms. Calevera, you said you're versed in Atlesian vehicles?" The young devil asked.

"Versed? Kiddo, I'm one of the best."

"Then we'll sneak you in with Weiss. Given your size, we can probably fit you in a suitcase."

"Seriously?" The heiress asked.

"Totes." Dante jokingly said, quirking up his eyebrows comedically, "Now then… Your sister's wife gave me a good idea recently Jaune."

"What kind of..? Oh…"

The devil smirked, nodding his head, "We're going to sabotage the communications network to deactivate it for a short time so we can move about more freely without causing a disturbance or them catching onto us. Blake, I believe you used to be an expert in that field?"

The cat Faunus shrugged.

"We'll have Ms. Cotta hand over some schematics to help you out a little. Yang, I'd like you to patrol the area near the tower to keep away any Grimm or discourage the curious."

"If that's what you want…" Yang said with a shrug.

"Everyone else will be waiting at the rendezvous point here."

As Dante spoke, his HoloScroll sent out a holographic projection of a 3D map of the area, focusing from the town towards the outskirts near the ocean. A cliffside in particular had been highlighted and had a floating arrow above it.

"If we have too many people moving about, they'll catch on immediately. That's why everyone else will be waiting here." Dante pointed on the map, "Once Weiss, Ciel and Musashi hijack the ship and safely dump whoever's piloting the ship, you come pick us up. I'll hopefully be there by then."

"Hopefully?"

"I don't know how long it'll take. I'm saying we leave in three days just to be generous. But just in case I don't make it in time…" Dante extended his hand, an Aura Dagger instantly forming, "I'll leave two of these with each person, just in case of any emergency and I need to pick any of you up along the way. In short though, this'll guarantee I'll be able to meet back with you all, since I can teleport to any of these Aura Blades I make or set."

"I understand you going brother, but shouldn't you bring Ms. Kitsukami? And Ms. Embryl?

"He wants us to stick with the rest of you." The red haired woman said as she entered the room just now, sweating a little from likely working out, "Inuba, myself and Ciel are the heaviest hitters at the moment. With us around, your safety is basically guaranteed. Isn't that right?" Blaire said, looking to Dante.

"Exactly as she put it." The devil replied, "My group and I will be just fine." He explained, looking to Inuba, "I'm leaving you guys with them because it'll put my mind at ease knowing you'll make sure everyone's safe and sound."

"So… when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'm gonna get some rest first then head out at first light to get ahead of this." Dante explained, "Other than that… Are we all in agreement with the current plan?"

"What happens if things don't go according to plan?" Oscar asked, looking up at Dante.

"You better hope they do." Dante joked, "In all seriousness though, not all plans are one hundred percent foolproof, nor will they go entirely to plan. Improvise and adapt. But most importantly, don't take unnecessary risks. If anything seems too risky, back off a little and try a new approach. With how things are laid out, things should go smoothly enough on their own."

"Very well then…" Dawn said, nodding her head, "Does anyone have any objections whatsoever?"

No one spoke up, the group either shaking their head or sitting in silence.

"Alright. Get some rest everyone. Prepare whatever you need to in the next three days." Dante said, "As for me… I'm gonna head out for a bit. Get some coffee or sweets or something."

"But… you just returned…" Inuba pouted a little.

"I'll be back in an hour or two. So don't worry." Dante assured.

"Anyone wanna play Uno until bedtime?" The two heard Nora call out as the others gathered around.

Dante pulled Inuba off to the side from everyone else, their voices quieting.

"I hate to ask you this since it's late, but…"

"Not to worry." Inuba bowed briefly, "I only really need to focus my Sensing in one direction. I'll be able to pinpoint a location within the hour."

"Thanks." Dante said, patting the top of Inuba's head as her Fox ears fluttered happily, "I'm sorry for making you work too much."

"Nonsense." Inuba dissuaded, "You can always depend on me to help you." She spoke, reaching up to pull Dante's head down a little to plant a kiss on his lips, "Please stay warm out there."

"But I have you and your lovely fur to warm me up when I get back. Especially if we're wearing less than we are now."

She was blushing rather furiously, covering Dante's mouth with her hands as her nine Fox tails whipped about quickly.

"I'll be back soon." The young devil said after moving Inuba's fingers from his mouth, kissing the back of her hands before he left through the door.

With a smile and a brief huff, Inuba settled herself down, patting the sides of her cheeks to prep herself.

"Now then… Where would be a nice, quiet place to focus..?"

---

"Geez, that's a lotta coffee and pretzel bread, man." The clerk said, dropping his magazine as he looked up, shocked at who he saw, "Holy shit! You're that guy!"

"What guy? I have no idea what you're talking about." Dante said.

"You're that rookie Huntsman Dante from Vale that kicked everyone's ass at the tournament!"

"Uh…"

"Thanks man! For real!"

"Thanks for..?"

"My sister ran that cafe in Vale near Beacon! She said you were her best customer and that you saved her that night Vale got attacked."

It took Dante a moment, but after looking at the spikey, light brown hair of the clerk, as well as his green eyes, he recalled a framed picture he saw behind the counter of said cafe.

"Oh shit. You're the brother." The teen pointed out.

"Yeah man! I'm the bro! And you're the man!"

"Uh, yeah, I'm the guy." Dante fist pumped.

"What are you doing here dude?"

"Business. You know how it goes." The devil said as he put some Lien on the counter.

"I feel ya, I feel ya. Just last week we had a bunch of travelers come on in. Literally bought half the store." The clerk explained, both him and Dante chuckling a little, "Hey, is it true you killed a Gheist in an arm wrestling match?"

"No, but I did toss him around like a rag doll and smacked a mofo with another mofo."

"Hahaha! Sick bro!"

"Totally."

"Hey man, take some back." The clerk said, taking half the Lien Dante but down and giving him back the rest.

"Look, you don't need to-"

"It's my way of saying thanks. For helping my sis out, and all those other people you helped on the road. We gotta stick together and help one another these days. Ya dig?"

"I dig. But… yeah, I don't know what to say. Except thanks, of course." The teen nodded.

"Don't sweat it. Fight on, brother man!"

"Sell on, brother man." Dante replied in kind, fist bumping the clerk before he left the store.

The devil admitted the recognition was somewhat nice. Glory wasn't something that gave him satisfaction, but the fact that he managed to help others, or made a difference somehow made him happy enough. Everything else was just extra.

Like the waves, hellos, and "good work" he got from people as he walked the streets of Argus at night. It wasn't necessary to do so, but it was well appreciated.

A couple even asked for a selfie with him.

He never took selfies with anyone.

But it was an experience nonetheless. A pleasant one, to some extent.

As he traversed the streets caked in snow, Dante watched as people started filtering out of restaurants and bakeries and the like, all dressed in warm clothes and heading home for the night. Some took the easy way out, and found nearby inns and hotels.

Though, he guessed what some of the couples who entered inside would be doing for the evening.

While he walked, his ears picked up something. Whistling and jeering of sorts from the alleyway to his left.

"Are you serious right now…" Dante complained, quickening his pace down the alley.

It didn't matter what world he visited. There were always going to be some people like the ones he was about to walk into.

"It's not like you're doing anything right now, right?"

"Yeah, we've seen you slinking about the last few days. But you always were quick enough to get away. Until now that is."

Dante tilted his head around the corner barely, seeing 4 men in the alleyway. They weren't just men though. The group of four were slightly armored and all openly carrying weapons of various types.

They were Huntsmen.

*Shameless degenerates..! They should know better!*

I agree, Navâra. But not everyone's got good in them. Same goes for Huntsmen and Huntresses. Sometimes… they just give in to baser desires and take more than they should.

~Going to play the hero, then?~

What else?

"Come on lady, why don't you come have fun with us tonight?"

He didn't hear any protests, but he didn't hear any agreeing either. If one thing was clear from the obscured view, it was that whoever that woman was, she had her back against the wall and seemingly no way out.

"Maybe she doesn't want to go anywhere with you." Dante stepped out, putting his bag of bread and coffee and tea on the ground.

"And who the fuck are you? Her boyfriend?" One of the men said, him and his friends crowding up in a line.

"Nope, but I'm a man with four girlfriends, possibly five soon. So not only do I treat the ladies right, I know what they like too. I can certainly say she's not liking what you're selling, Slim Jim."

The four men shared confused glances between each other, the head of the pack chuckling and reaching behind his back to pull out a rifle.

"Well Casanova, I'll make it simple for you then. You can head on home to your girlfriends, and we get this one. Deal?"

"Sorry, no deal."

"I'm holding a gun to your head, fucko."

"I see that." Dante calmly nodded, reaching into his pocket, "And I… have a paperclip."

The man started laughing, "What are you gonna do with that? Keep my papers together?"

"No… I'm gonna…" The teen unfolded the metal and snapped the metal clip in half, "Do that, for starters. Then, I'm gonna destroy your gun and your hand with this bit right here." He said holding up his left hand, "And if you're really the saucy boy you're making yourself out to be, this one's going in your neck deep enough to stop your air circulation, wherein you will then suffocate and die." The devil explained, holding up his right hand.

The men went silent, their faces contorting with confusion briefly before three of them broke out laughing. One remained silent, and cast a wary gaze on Dante.

"You're making me laugh man! I might just shoot you after you stop being funny!"

"Yeah… Laugh at this, you prick."

Dante's left hand quickly moved up as he threw the strip of metal like a dart. The man holding was seemingly spooked, but by the time he decided to pull the trigger, it was too late. The teen's paper clip had flown into the barrel, and with traces of his Aura imbued in the broken clip, the Aura expanded outwards to completely clog the barrel.

When the man pulled the trigger on his gun, the entire device exploded, red hot pieces of metal scattering across the alley as the degenerate stood in awe. All he saw in place of his hand now was a bloody stump, his entire hand blown off.

The rogue Huntsmen fell to his knees, crying loudly as he squeezed his forearm, blood gushing out past the metal and wooden shards stuck in his flesh.

"I-I fucking knew it! T-That bastard's Dante! He's the guy who killed Kent Jackson in Anima!" The man wary of the teen shouted to his friends.

"W-What..?! This shit killed that huge fucker?!"

"I'm serious! He killed him with a plastic spork! Dug out his eyes before he stabbed him in the neck!"

The three Huntsmen were starting to sweat, moving their hands away from their weapons.

"Here's how this works." The young devil began, "You can take your friend here and leave. Don't come after the girl, and definitely don't come after me. Trust me, it won't matter in the slightest since I'd easily kill all of you, or anyone you'd send. Aside from that, one of my girlfriends is stronger than I am, and is highly protective of me to the point she'd burn the world for me. Let me say now that she'd kill you before you'd realize you were even dead. Like Fist of the North Star."

The teen raised up his arm, bending it slightly as he pointed towards them, posing as he deepened his voice.

"You're already dead."

One of the men screamed before he mad-dashed down the alleyway to escape what would likely be his death. The other two hurriedly grabbed their injured friend and dragged him away as quickly as they could, leaving Dante and the girl alone now.

One of them left their shoes behind.

"Dude, has your mother ever told you not to litter?" The teen said, grabbing the shoe and throwing it at the head of one of the men fleeing.

The devil sighed, looking near the ground to see something discarded in the snow. A staff of black wood, just as tall as he was. It was rough all around, un-lacquered, and had no grip. The top was rounded out into what almost looked like a crown, the triangular bits curving outwards slightly.

This definitely wasn't a weapon. At least, he didn't think so.

When he turned around, he could finally see the woman the rogue Huntsmen were attempting to "woo", if it could even be called that.

She looked around eighteen, maybe nineteen, and had to be about Inuba's height, which meant she was around 5'8. Her clothing, if it could even be called that, was... strange. It looked like all of it was just tattered black cloth that was tightly wrapped around her body, forming what looked to be a dress of sorts. The wrapped cloth wasn't too tight, but still tight enough that it hugged the woman's figure perfectly, enhancing the shape of her rather voluptuous features.

It wasn't a wonder now why those dregs were chasing after her. She was actually quite beautiful.

Her arms were entirely wrapped from the ends of her shoulders all the way to her wrists, leaving her pale hands completely exposed. The hem of her "dress of black cloth" stopped just at the center of her shins, and was tight enough to hug the figure of her legs. It was however loose enough to allow her to walk freely, perhaps even run if she chose to. The black wraps were a little looser around the hem, dangling slightly.

Speaking of her legs, when Dante looked down, he saw the girl wasn't wearing anything on her feet. No shoes, no sandals, not even socks. She was entirely barefoot. Coming out of his slight shock, he noticed a silver bangle with numerous, fanciful etchings around her left leg, just a little bit above her ankle. But with the vertical length, it looked more like an intricate shackle rather than a bangle.

Was she a prisoner of some sort?

Looking back up, the devil could see her rather ample chest completely covered and wrapped in the cloth tightly. Her "mass" was… pretty pronounced, so it was difficult to ignore. While the ends of her shoulders were bound in the black cloth, the rest was left bare, as well as the top half of her chest. The girl however had some sort of ash colored cloak that was also tattered.

It still left a good deal of her shoulders exposed, as well as the top portion of her chest and her whole front, but it covered her entire back at least. Two of the corners met at the center of her chest, kept together by perfectly round silver metal. The tattered, jagged ends of the girl's cloak seemed to reach all the way to the back of her knees.

Looking further up, he saw a silver, metal choker around her neck. When he looked at her face, he could see everything except her eyes. That was covered by some sort of… silver metal blindfold shaped like a tiara, numerous wavy etchings spanning the entirety of the metal.

The girl's hair was pitch black, fairly neat and smooth, but messy for the most part. From what Dante saw, the back of her black hair was long, reaching all the way to her waist. It was braided into what looked like a simple three strand braid, starting a little bit below the base of her neck.

Her bangs weren't too long, but long enough to completely frame the sides of her face, covering her ears entirely and almost touching her shoulders. The girls front bangs were also long, but just enough to slightly drape over her metal blindfold. There was a split though, exposing her forehead a little, where her hair was parted slightly to the left.

The woman, in spite of having her metal blindfold, seemingly had her gaze fixed exactly on Dante. He tried swaying a little, and she followed his movement with her face.

Weird… In any case… is she homeless? A traveler? Despite that cloth perfectly wrapped around her looking like a dress, the edges are pretty ragged. That, and she has no shoes. At first I thought maybe she was homeless, but… Her skin is squeaky clean, she doesn't smell at all, and her hair is pretty silky with a sleek shine.

The young devil took a glance at the thin, wooden staff once more, extending his arm out to return her item. As soon as his hand came close, she backed away quickly, pushing herself against the wall.

"I-I'm not gonna hurt you, miss. I'm just giving this back. If it even is yours. Is it yours?" The teen asked.

She slowly moved forward a little, nodding her head. Dante himself moved his hand slowly, making sure not to spook the girl anymore than she would have been. Though, given he couldn't exactly see her eyes, he wasn't all too sure.

She didn't shiver at all, much less from the cold given she was barefoot in the snow. Nonetheless, both were cautious when moving their hands forward, the girl eventually grabbing the staff. For a brief moment, her hand touched his and her head jolted up to "look" at him. But as soon as the staff was hers once more, her head tilted down.

The girl seemed less cautious, more relaxed around him now.

"Do you… have a name?"

She shook her head.

"What about a place to stay?"

Her head tilted to the side, pondering the question a moment before she nodded.

"Hell…" Dante muttered very quietly, "Look, I'm pretty certain those guys won't be waiting around for you, but just in case, should I take you back to wherever it is you're staying?"

Again she stood completely still, head tilted down as if to think about it. After what seemed like a few seconds, she turned around and began walking in the direction Dante came from.

Well, she's certainly pleasant to chat with.

Following after her, Dante swept up his bags and followed after the girl, rushing a little so that he could walk next to her. Strangely enough, for someone wearing a blindfold like that, she knew exactly where she was going.

Maybe she walked the roads long enough to know her way around without having to feel around with her staff. Speaking of… she was clutching it tightly, like she was protective of it.

I'm getting absolutely nothing from her or that staff of hers. I thought it might've been special or had some freaky power in it, but… It seems normal enough. She could just be suppressing everything. Then again… I haven't the slightest clue about her.

Dante reached into his bag, grabbing a round, loaf of warm pretzel bread, holding it out to the woman.

"You want one?"

She stopped in her tracks, looking… confused? Was it that strange to her?

Yet again she was caught in her long pauses of thought, not moving a single inch before she decided to nod her head. The girl in black reached out, taking the rotund, browned bread.

She hummed a little, then chomped on the bread, nibbling at it a little.

The silent girl let out another hum. A quiet one, but still sounding quite pleased.

The two walked together in silence for most of the way, eventually passing by the small park with the statue of Pyrrha.

It hurt a little to see it twice in such a short time. Seeing that statue was like a scalding reminder of what they lost that night.

"It pisses me off…" Dante growled.

The woman looked to him, confused.

"Uh, no, not you. Just…" he sighed, looking towards the statue, "I don't know if you knew this, but there's a park on our left across the street. It's got a statue of… someone that was my friend."

The girl in black turned herself to face forward towards the park, like she was trying to see if it was there. Though with her blindfold on, she was probably trying to imagine how the park looked like, picturing everything in her head as best as she could.

She then looked back at him, tilting her head ever so slightly. At this point, Dante knew that was her "question asking" face.

"The statue of the girl I mentioned… She's not around anymore. She was like a Hero of sorts. Someone completely and totally different from me. And she gave her life attempting to protect what mattered to her. That's the short of it really."

Without saying a word, she looked ahead and continued walking silently.

…

She really wasn't one for conversations... Maybe she couldn't speak? Or just chose not to?

This wasn't the first time Dante interacted with someone who wasn't really vocal or expressive.

The first person he ever met like that was The Doom Slayer, someone who wasn't much for words. His guns, fists and chainsaw did all the talking he would ever need to.

I wonder what the Big Guy's up to these days. Probably still carving demons up like turkeys with that chainsaw of his. In any case…

The young devil glanced at the girl, grimacing a little as he watched her trek the snow covered sidewalk.

"Are you seriously not cold?"

She nodded her head.

Well at least she's quicker with her responses.

"Not even the littlest bit?" The teen insisted.

Yet another silent nod.

That can't be healthy…

A few more minutes of walking in silence along the empty streets, and the girl made a sudden stop in front of a rather rundown building. It looked old, and was in shambles with stone and wood out of place. Even the wooden door was splintered.

Without noticing it at first, the girl had already pushed the doors open, Dante following after her. He closed the door behind him, hearing it squeak an awful noise as he shut it.

At first he could barely see a thing, but the room was lighting up slowly over time. When he looked behind him, he saw the girl was lighting huge candles... with her staff, which now had a small, white flame outlined in black, flickering about and nestled at the top of her staff where the small "crown" was.

So the staff is special… Am I losing my edge or something?

There were twelve candles in the room, three on each wall as the room was vastly more illuminated. There were broken desks, chairs and tables scattered about. There was only one chair in the room that was neatly kept. It was wooden, and had arm rests. Black padded leather was bound on the seat and backrest, as well as the arm rests.

In front of the chair was a black metal pedestal that was rusted to hell, and on it was a very aged book with a black leather cover.

This looks like an abandoned meeting hall… She doesn't have a bed, so where does she sleep?

Seeing the neatly kept chair, something rather frightening dawned on him.

Does she sleep in that?!

Dante jolted upwards suddenly, finding the girl in black standing right in front of him just a foot away.

"Hi." He said, trying to remain calm.

She didn't say a word, and only reached out to him slowly with her hands. The teen watched her pale, slender fingers gently touch the sides of his face, her head tilting up. He couldn't see the girl's eyes, but he could feel her staring into his.

The woman gasped softly, slowly pulling away as she took a few steps back.

"What is it? My face too ugly?" The young devil joked.

She placed her hands over her ample chest, clutching her fingers tightly. It looked like she was struggling to…

"Thou..." she spoke, her voice gentle, calm, and almost whisper-like with a slight accent, "Thou art the Umbral Star…"

"Sorry, the what now?"

Does she…

"The Umbral Star… Thou art he."

"Uh…"

She bowed her head to him briefly before standing up straight, "Umbral Star… Long have I searched for thee. Thou who hath descended from on high to bring salvation."

"Great…" Dante muttered, "Look, I'm not some savior, or divine being that came down from the heavens. I'm… just some guy."

"Thou art more than thou sayeth."

She read me. That's why she touched me.

"What am I then?" The teen asked, crossing his arms.

"Thou art the equilibrium. Light and Darkness are within thee, but thou art not a slave to either. Thou chooseth thy own path."

Her words could mean a lot of things, but the way she said it… Her phrasing more or less resonated with Dante's ideology on the concepts of good and evil. He didn't care too much for it, didn't care to label most people as either or.

Even so, he knew full well there were those who were genuinely good, and those that were pure evil.

His belief applied moreso to him than anything or anyone else. The young devil never classified his actions as "good" or "evil", only if it was "wrong" or "right". To be honest, that wasn't entirely perfect either, but in his opinion, it was much better than the latter. Good and evil as concepts were comically flawed and skewed beyond belief.

Spending as much time as he did amongst Dark Entities and Angels proved that much.

"The Umbral Star?" Dante questioned.

The girl nodded.

"I guess it makes sense, in a way. A star is supposed to be bright and full of light. But in my case… It's alluding to my nature of having both the Dark and the Light. Is that it?"

"Yes."

"Alright. How is all that relevant anyway?"

"Thou art-"

"Yeah, I get it, I'm this 'Umbral Star' or whatever." Dante breathed in, folding his hands together, "Okay, better question. How is it exactly that you came by this… idea of the Umbral Star?"

The girl's head shifted towards the podium, the devil quickly walking over to grab the old book and walk it back to the woman. When he gave her the book, she quickly felt around the edges of the book where the pages were and then opened it up.

Dante could see many illustrations on one of the pages, organized like a brief procession of events. On the other page was writing that… he couldn't read at all.

The way the symbols were written… It almost reminded him of Nordic runes with how each of the characters were clean and perfectly sharp angled.

"When the World faceth it's end… The Umbral Star shall descend from Lands unknown. Darkness and Light shall shield those under their protection, and shall devour those that seeketh the Path of Ruin. Their mercy and their love shall free those shackled and cursed, and shall mend the World once more."

Shackled and cursed, huh…

The teen's eyes briefly looked down at the girls feet, seeing the silver band of metal.

"Who gave you this book?"

The girl shook her head.

"You don't know?"

A nod..

"Twas like a shade, faceless and cloaked in Darkness."

"So what, it was some kind of ghost?"

The girl shook her head, closing the book, "Twas what seemed like a man. Physical, he was."

"And this man, this shade… He told you to find me? Or rather, to find the Umbral Star?" Dante asked, the girl nodding once more, "What did he say to do after you find the Umbral Star?"

The girl in black seemed to struggle for a moment. She was hesitant, unsure.

It didn't take the young devil long to realize she was hesitant because of him.

"Look, I'm not… mad at you or anything. It's just… I'm not too much a believer in prophecies, fate, destiny… All that garbage. In essence, I'm not a fan of people telling me who I am, or who I'm supposed to be. I just try to go my own way as best I can." The devil spoke, sighing a little, "That being said… It's not like I dismiss all of it flat out. If you think I'm this… Umbral Star, then fine. To be honest, what you said about being the Equilibrium… It pretty much lines up."

Dante looked at his hands briefly, looking back at the girl soon after.

"I'm not some savior, nor am I a destroyer. I'm not a saint, but I'm not a villain either. I'm just me. Just Dante Aetherveil. Nothing else."

She nodded, as if to agree with him.

"That being said… I've introduced myself. What about you? Do you really not have a name?" He asked the girl.

Another silent shake of the head.

"What should I call you then?"

"Whatever thou wish."

"Maybe The Seeker, since you've been trying to find the Umbral Star?"

"If it is thy will, then so shall it be." The girl bowed respectfully.

"You still didn't answer my question from before though." Dante quickly brought up, "After finding the Umbral Star… After finding me, what are you supposed to do?"

Yet again she reached out with both hands slowly, Dante moving his right hand towards her just as carefully until she gently took hold of his.

"I… I am here for thee… and thee only, Umbral Star."

The young devil sighed, "Dante, okay? Dante." He corrected, "You don't need to call me by that goofy title. At least, not always."

The Seeker nodded, letting go of the teen's hands as she kept her "stare" on him.

Dante cleared his throat quickly, looking about the candle lit room once again, taking in its extremely rundown features once again.

"Look, I know I said I'd bring you back to wherever you were staying, but… Honestly, that was before I realized you were living here of all places."

The girl tilted her head with a silent hum, giving him her "question asking" look.

"I don't know if you realized this since you've got that metal blindfold of yours on, but this place is kind of a dump. Did you decide to stay here because people don't come around?"

She nodded.

Figures… From my observations of her behavior, it looks as though she's not a fan of people. More like she's afraid of them really. It'd make sense for her to find an isolated place far from everyone else. Still…

~What now, Master? Picking up a stray?~

She said she's been searching for me, or someone like me at least. And from her words, she seems willing to offer me help. Then again… I should ask just to be sure.

"So I take it that you're willing to help me on my travels, Seeker?"

"I am here for thee, and thee only."

"Yeah, I got that the first time. But… you should really say it yourself. Do you want to help me?"

She seemed confused by his question for a brief moment, but with the way she tilted her head, it looked like she was thinking of a response.

"Yes."

"Well… If you're gonna be on the team from here on out, I'm not gonna have you stay in a place like this." Dante said, stretching his arms out quickly, "Do you want to come with me?"

She remained frozen for a few seconds, but then wordlessly nodded, closing up her book and holding it at her side as she held her staff in the other.

"Got anything else you want to take with you?"

The Seeker shook her head.

"Right then… Uh… Just stick close to me and we'll be home soon enough."

Her head jolted up a little.

"Something wrong?"

The girl shook her head.

"O-Okay then…"

~She's kind of a weirdo, isn't she?~

Like you're one to talk, Eclypse.

~Hey, I own up to it at least.~

*She is strange for the most part… But I don't think she means you any harm.*

~One of us would've felt something whenever she touched you. If there were any negative emotions, you would've felt that yourself.~

Safe to say then she wasn't going to attack him then. Even if she did, it'd be useless since Eclypse and Navâra would be watching out just in case.

By now, the two were out on the street once more walking down the street as The Seeker kept close to Dante.

"You want another pretzel bread?" He asked her, "They're still warm."

She took the bread pretty quickly this time, immediately shifting her staff under the arm she kept her book, grabbed the bread, and took a bite, nibbling at the bread a little.

It was kind of cute.

---

"Dante…"

Inuba was giving Dante a look he hadn't gotten from the kitsune in a long time. The kind of look where her eyes were narrowed. The kind of look that said "Seriously?". The kind of look a mother gives her child when scolding him.

While the young devil did indeed feel he might need to change his pants because of the minor heart-attack he was having from being glared at, he couldn't deny Inuba still looked cute when mad a little.

"Brother… Even I'm at a loss for words…" Dawn said with disappointment in her voice.

"It's not like that!" The young devil quickly defended.

"Then please, explain the situation as it is. VERY clearly." The kitsune spoke.

Ah… I forget how scary she can get…

"She said she sought me out to join forces with us." The devil explained, "Said something about seeing me on TV before the CCT towers went down and had been hearing stories about me with all the articles Avery Davis has been putting out."

"Speaking of…" Dawn brought up.

"I did a quick interview with him when I stepped out to go to the store." Dante replied, "In any case, The Seeker heard enough about me to want to track me down and offer us her assistance. So she came down from Atlas and waited for me here in Argus."

A majority of it was a lie, save for The Seeker searching for him. He couldn't just outright say "She read somewhere in a book of prophecy that she needed to find me". That'd be crazy, even for them.

They already had their eyes on Noland, relaxed as they were now.

Aside from that… Dante still knew almost nothing about The Seeker, except for two things.

One, she meant no harm to him or any of his allies, that much he was sure of. Though frankly, from what it sounded, her loyalty extended mostly to him, perhaps only him, given her "I am here for thee and thee only" phrase.

And two… She didn't much like people. Rather, she seemed afraid of people. That much was evident with how much distance she put between herself and everyone. Even now, she sat in the kitchen at the coffee table, her black book resting in her lap with her hands on it. Her staff was tucked away in the kitchen corner a short distance away.

At this time, most of everyone was asleep, so it was just Dante, his sister, Inuba, and his mother, who silently sat in the corner nodding off every now and then, in the living room, while The Seeker kept her distance.

"How did she get here?" Dawn asked.

"Didn't say." Dante shrugged, "Probably the same way Weiss got out of Atlas for all we know."

"Brother…"

"Look, I don't think you noticed, but she doesn't quite talk a lot." The young devil spoke, "All she said really is that she came from Atlas to help me, that's it."

"And you say she was in trouble when you found her?" Inuba asked.

"Yes."

The kitsune and middle Aetherveil child gave one another a quizzical glance, looking back at Dante with narrowed eyes.

"Four rogue Huntsmen were trying to hit on her and possibly… do other things. I wasn't gonna leave her when I could hear them and their filthy mouths. And as a bonus, she said she'll help us."

"You're certain her only interest is to aid you?" Inuba asked.

Dante raised a hand up, looking towards the kitchen.

"Seeker, what's your objective again?"

"I am here for thee and thee only." The girl in black replied quickly, her voice barely audible.

The young devil waved his hand, as if to say "See? I told you." to his girlfriend and sister.

"Should we keep an eye on her?"

"No, I think concerning her we're completely safe." The devil replied to his sister.

"Are you only saying that because she's a girl?" Dawn asked.

"Seeker?"

"I am here for thee and thee only."

"I think that answers it." Dante said, "I know we've gotten friendlier and all, but we've already got eyes on Noland, just in case. Right now, of the two, I'm more concerned about him. We split our attention, we might miss something."

"Noland's alibi matches up and has been consistent so far. Unfortunately, we can't confirm his story with uncle." Dawn stated, "So far, he hasn't given us any reason to distrust him."

"Except for the fact he stated he wishes to take vengeance on his father." Inuba added, "I understand his desire for justice, but… Given his weak physical condition, my impression is that he sought Dante out specifically to utilize his strength."

"That's what I thought when I heard his story, but… I don't know. Not everything is clear yet." The young devil spoke as he stood up from his chair, "But like Dawn said, Noland hasn't given us any reason to distrust him so far. He's… shifty, a little devious, and has his own agenda, but I don't think he's a spy or anything."

"But we'll still keep our eyes on him, right?" The kitsune asked.

"I think we should. If he proves himself more, then we can relax a little but take the occasional glance."

"If that's all, then I suppose we can turn in for the evening." Dawn said, "I wish you luck with your venture tomorrow, brother."

Dante waved goodbye to his sister, who woke up their mother. Groggy, she followed her daughter up the stairs.

"So then…" Inuba said, walking behind Dante and rubbing his shoulders, "Shall I wait for you?" She whispered in his ear.

"Oh?" The devil smirked, "Are we feeling feisty tonight, Ms. Kitsukami?"

"Perhaps." She giggled, her fox tails whipping about slowly, "I'll draw water in the bath. Since we'll be apart for a few days, I advise you as both your doctor and your lover, to join me in order to… unwind."

The devil chuckled, "You've gotten so much bolder… It's honestly really sexy."

"Well… It's not as if I need to restrain myself as I did previously…" she said, wrapping her arms around the teen to hug him and kiss his cheek, "I'll see you in a few minutes."

She walked away slowly, moving up the stairs at a gentle pace. Dante looked behind him, watching the Kitsune move up the stairs with a rather seductive sway in her movements, catching an eyeful of her spats-shorts. Their sleek shine, the way they hugged her thick, shapely rear… It made the teen's blood warm with excitement as he did his best not to react.

But Inuba didn't need a reaction to tell she aroused him. Dante looking back at her was all the confirmation she needed, which in turn fired her up as she quickened her pace upstairs.

~She's definitely copying me to get your attention.~

Isn't that a good thing, Eclypse?

~Yes, but also no. It means I'll have to step up my game more.~

What, there's an extra level to your already lascivious behavior towards me?

~Like you wouldn't believe it, darling.~

*Even I must agree Ms. Kitsukami's charm is blinding almost. It's as if she's the pinnacle of what it means to be a loving wife! The kind you are always eager to rush home to quickly and shower with your love! It would seem I'm at even more of a disadvantage than I originally thought!*

What happened to showing me what it means to have the love of an empress?

*I-I see you haven't forgotten my declaration, good Dante!*

How could anyone forget? You don't have to worry Navâra. You're plenty charming as is.

*Indeed! I do not! I am an empress afterall!*

There it was. Aside from her blatant, but rather cute display of arrogance, her confidence seemed unbreakable. It wasn't a wonder she ruled so effectively during her time, and why her kingdom flourished like it did.

That much was evident with how her kingdom declined as quickly as it did after her death. Her brilliance was great, and for some, her absence left a hole too great to fill. Without their shining ruler to guide them into the future, and without proper leadership, their fall was certain.

…

What was Sêrythîl's story though? She spoke about ruling a land of death filled with all sorts of monsters and whatnot. After humanity's extinction at the end of The Age of The Brother Gods, she survived in some capacity even if she was a Grand Spirit now. She could've stayed where she was. So why has she been traveling the world?

Could she have been forced out by Salem?

Dante was tilting his chair back, rocking back and forth slowly before he looked over to the kitchen to see…

The Seeker was gone.

When he turned towards the other direction, he saw her right behind him, startling the teen as he fell backwards. Before he fell, The Seeker's hand shot out and effortlessly stopped him, pushing Dante back into place.

"I gotta say, not much makes me jump like that."

"Apologies. 'Twas not mine intent."

"No worries. Literally. In case you were wondering, we talked it over and it looks as though you're in, no problem. We just had a discussion because you're new, and… the world isn't in a great state. Hard to find new people to trust."

"It is of no consequence. 'Twas predicted the days shall darken."

"Right. In that Book of Prophecies you have."

She nodded.

"Well, don't feel discouraged or anything. With the enemy we're up against, caution is a necessary step in a lot of our actions leading towards the future. We have to make as little slip ups as possible, and that sometimes requires placing trust in complete strangers. If we trust the wrong people… Well, you can guess for yourself what happens." Dante explained, "In any case, you can relax. There's an extra room upstairs for you when you want to sleep."

"Unnecessary."

"Hm?"

"Unnecessary."

"Ok..? Well, it's up there if you want to change your mind." The devil said, head looking towards the living room, "You ever watch TV?"

Her head seemingly followed the direction Dante's went, The Seeker giving a questioning tilt of the head.

"Oh… Sorry, I forget that you have that thing." The teen pointed towards his face, "If you don't want to answer my next question, you don't have to, but… Are you… blind, or..?"

She didn't answer.

There was a reason she was wearing it. But what was that reason?

"Alright. That's fine. You can tell me whatever you want whenever you want. No judgment or pressure or anything." Dante said, next poking over to the living room, "Do you know what a television is?"

She shook her head.

"What about a radio?"

A nod.

"Ok, a TV is basically like a radio but with moving pictures. Biggest difference is that there's a lot more content to watch, or in your case, hear." Dante explained as he walked towards the couch and grabbed the remote.

The Seeker followed behind him, the teen giving her the remote.

"Um… Can I… uh… touch you?"

Her head jolted up a little.

"N-Not anything weird! Just want you to know which buttons are which on the remote."

The girl looked down, silent for a few moments before she nodded.

Dante slowly moved his hand to hers, guiding her fingers.

"Feel that large rectangle on this side? That's the volume button. Pushing the upper portion raises the volume, the bottom lowers it." He then moved her fingers to the other side of the remote, "This button changes the channels, like how you tune a radio to different channels or stations. Same deal with the volume basically, upper to switch to the next channel, lower to go back. Got all that?"

The Seeker nodded.

"Alright… Well, I'm going to head on up. Like I said, if you want to sleep, the spare bedroom is upstairs all the way at the end of the hall. I'll see you early tomorrow."

The teen let go of the remote, heading for the stairs as he waved a hand.

"Goodnight."

…

Silence, with the exception of the television already running in the background. The Seeker felt around the couch, slowly walking around until her hand touched the armrest. Making her way to the front, she sat down with the remote and carefully positioned herself upright.

She used her ears to listen carefully to what each channel was broadcasting as she flipped through the channels steadily. A minute later and a few button presses, the girl in black seemingly found something that piqued her interest, and set aside the remote, placing her hands in her lap as she listened eagerly.

The girl had always listened to the idle chatter of people, and whatever bits of radio broadcasts she caught in passing, but the TV was a new experience entirely. It was… fascinating to her.

…

She wondered what it would be like, to watch the moving picture to obtain the whole experience. All she could "see" was a dim large light in the shape of a rectangle in the darkness. She knew it was there. She knew if she took her "binding" off she could see it, along with everything else.

She could see him.

Alas, she could not. She would not remove her binding for any reason. In her mind, she had to settle for seeing the "outlines", which was enough for her.

In the end, she didn't need to see the so-called moving images. The sounds alone gave her enough to use the inner workings of her mind to create the images.

It was difficult, tempting even. But at the very least it helped her bide her time patiently until morning.

---

As Dante made his way to the upper floor of the rental house, he saw something… peculiar.

A trail of white and ember colored rose petals.

Deciding to play along, he followed the trail that led to the graciously large bathroom, seeing the grey tiled room. The bathtub was square in shape, but rather immense in that it could fit three people, maybe more. Though from the looks of it, it was mainly designed the way it was in order for a couple to lay about at their leisure.

Sure enough, the hot water gave off streams of steam while the foam and bubbles slowly bustled and popped. Seeing no one behind him, Dante closed the door just enough to leave it open a crack, then took off his shirt and stripped the rest of his clothes off.

The devil saw a few talismans stuck to the walls and ceiling, seeing they were Inuba's "noise canceling" talismans.

As he sunk into the large tub in the floor, the hot water made his skin tingle as the fresh scents of mint and herbal tea tree filtered into his nostrils, the teen closing his eyes.

Tea Tree… Inuba must've found a way to make it, or she just found it. Haven't smelled it in ages…

Tea Tree happened to be both of their favorite scents, particularly when it came to shampoo. The cool, herbal scent was just… too sensational for them to describe in words.

The devil heard the door creak steadily, making him open his eyes as he saw a bundle of nine white foxtails flicking about.

"Well well… Now what would a fine girl like you be doing in a place like this?" Dante asked with a slight accent.

"Oh, I don't know… I was thinking I could find the finest man alive in a place like this." Inuba played along, responding with an accent in kind, "Did I take a wrong turn?"

"If you're looking for an equally fine man…" The teen scooted over to make space, "Then you've come to the right place, little lady."

The kitsune giggled as she closed the door and undid the wrapping of her very short robe. As Inuba approached, her tails banished out of sight as she dipped herself in, cuddling up to Dante as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Ms. Kitsukami… You've been more outgoing than usual."

"But of course, Mr. Aetherveil. A future wife should do her best to aid in… de-stressing her future husband."

"Said future husband accepts this, and would also like to say to said future wife that he is eager to reciprocate, as well as being more than eager to please and de-stress said future wife."

Inuba giggled gleefully while Dante gently grabbed hold of her and shifted the kitsune to his front, allowing the girl to lean back into him so he could hug her. The yōkai girl made especially sure to push as much of herself into the devil as she could.

"You really have gotten bold." The teen said as he kissed her neck.

"I… simply decided it was time to act less and less reserved around you. To be completely true and upfront with my feelings. All of them."

All of them… That could mean a lot of things.

Though that field of meanings was narrowed when Inuba moved Dante's wrapped arms from her waist up under her huge, ample bust. Said field was also greatly narrowed again when she moved one of his hands to cup one of her breasts, eliciting a sensual moan from the kitsune.

"I see…" The devil responded as he gently began groping his girlfriend, hearing more of her alluring, hypnotic moans, "Then I'll meet all of those feelings head on and accept them."

"That makes me..! Ahn~! Very..! Happy!" The kitsune whimpered, trying to keep her voice down.

"You said if these talismans are placed in a room, no one will hear anything outside of the room, right?"

"Y-Yes..! Ah~!"

Dante lowered his head to whisper into the kitsune's ear, "Then… Can I hear your sweet, lovely voice to its fullest, Inuba?"

The kitsune jolted upwards, both in surprise of the request and the shock of pleasure that jolted through her entire body as her lover's hands worked both of her breasts smoothly and gently.

He could never get tired of this… Hearing Inuba's pleased moans, fondling her massive, perky breasts… But the moans… The moans worked him up the most because it told him how well he was pleasing her.

Dante felt some shame in himself, mostly because he's had experiences with other women in the past. Two of said women taught him how to really please other women. But those thoughts left him immediately, considering now, in the moment, he felt thankful rather. Because of those "experiences" and the "knowledge" imparted on him, he could do his absolute best in pleasing his girlfriends.

Pleasing his significant other… That alone mattered more than his own gratification.

Hearing the kitsune moan fervently, feeling her shudder in his arms… He was overjoyed with her reactions to his efforts.

Dante paused soon after, completely frozen in place as he looked to the door. Inuba, dazed for a few moments, snapped out of it, freezing up as well.

But as soon as they saw who was in the doorway, they both sighed a breath of relief, Inuba being the only one to cast a somewhat irritated glare.

"Ms. Embryl… I believe there was a reason the door was closed…"

The red haired woman smirked as she entered the bathroom, closing the door and turning the bolt to lock it.

"I know. But I placed my roses there too. Didn't you notice?"

The ember colored roses… Those were Blaire's…

"I did. However…"

"However nothing, Little Inuba." Blaire spoke, undoing her tiny robe.

She stood above them, flaunting herself with a confident smile before she stepped into the tub, Inuba reluctantly moving over so both of the women could share Dante's lap.

The redhead smiled when she looked at Inuba, then took a peek at her chest.

"You know… I don't think I can call you Little Inuba anymore since you've grown up so much. And, well, since you can actually 'compete' now."

Blaire sat up straighter, making sure her equally large chest was more pronounced before she pushed herself against Dante. Inuba however didn't back down, and pushed herself against Dante's body as well.

While both women were locked in their own "competition", the devil remained completely silent, letting things proceed on their own.

Still… He couldn't ignore how they pushed against him. It wouldn't even be a competition between them. Not because one woman was inadequate compared to the other, but because both were on equal footing.

Even with having a slightly more muscled body compared to Inuba, Blaire was still absolutely gorgeous.

Inuba had practically perfected proportions thanks to her dedication in taking care of her body. She was slim, yet curvaceous in many areas with her voluptuous hips, rear, thighs, and legs.

And their bust sizes… They were practically equal. Both of their bust sizes were not only really huge, but firm, perfectly shaped, and outstandingly perky.

Their beauty was not only breathtaking, but a testament to how well they maintained themselves, and the pride they took in their looks.

"It won't be much of a competition in the end…" Inuba spoke, both women giving one another a challenging grin.

"Uh…"

The two women turned their heads in Dante's direction.

"You don't need to compete with each other, you know? Both of you are absolutely gorgeous, and both of you are unique in your own way. I love both of you as you are, so don't fight."

"I… suppose you are right…"

"You've got a point… No need to compete for your affection since we all have it equally…" Blaire said, "So, Mr. Aetherveil… Are you going to take responsibility and please the both of us then?"

She scooted herself a little closer and moved one of his hands around her body and towards her chest so that he could grope her too, like he did with Inuba. The kitsune herself reciprocated, making sure her lover had a firm hold of her too.

"How could I ever say no to either of you?"

---

For hours she sat on the couch, perfectly still for the most part aside from the curious head tilts she gave now and then. Between swapping channels constantly and hearing some commotion upstairs, in spite of some people's best efforts to completely silence that noise, she finally found a channel where she could just leave the TV as is and listen along.

A channel that played nothing but old, romantic films.

She realized midway into her marathon that the music, even the verbiage of the actors was… old fashioned. The Seeker however was more than satisfied with the media she was consuming. She found it… familiar, comforting.

Yet each film left something in her. A hunger. A voracious pang. Something-

The girl in black jolted up when she heard rustling in the kitchen, the sound of machinery whirring to life, and liquid pouring into a porcelain cup.

When she turned her head towards the kitchen, she saw the outline of a person step in, stopping in her tracks as she gasped.

"Oh! Are you… a friend of Dante's?" Saphron Cotta-Arc asked.

Despite being perplexed, the girl gave a slow nod, remaining perfectly still afterwards.

"You must've come in last night… Speaking of, have you been here all night?"

Another nod.

"Wow… Not much of a sleeper, huh? Me? I'm an early bird myself, especially since I've been taking care of Adrian so Terra can focus more on work. Adrian's my baby."

Baby. A child. She had a child.

"So um… Do you want some coffee?"

The Seeker tilted her head.

"Oh, you've never had some, huh? I'll go make a cup for you."

Coffee… She heard of it before, and that it had special properties, but she never had any before. The Seeker though was always fascinated with the various aromas she got a whiff of.

There was one with hazelnut. She liked that one very much.

…

She hummed when the sudden smell of roasted hazelnut coffee filtered through the room.

"Here you go!"

Saphron quickly but steadily paced her way back into the living room, putting the cup of coffee on a coaster in front of the girl in black.

"So… What's your name?"

Name…

…

…

"Thou mayst call me The Seeker."

"The Seeker, huh? That's kind of cool."

Cool? Was it cold?

"So you're on a journey then to find something?"

She didn't respond.

"Someone?"

…

…

A quick nod.

"Ooh! I see, I see!"

…

"I…" The girl spoke, but quickly silenced herself, "I hath found that who I search for. Mine journey hath not ended, however."

"So you were looking for someone and something. You found the someone, but… What else are you looking for then?"

What else..?

…

…

It's been so long… She's been searching for so long that she could scarcely remember. Bits and pieces. She had found the Umbral Star, but as to the rest…

"That's alright, you don't need to tell me. I've been digging a little too much anyway. Sorry."

…

She was the second one. The second person to ask out of genuine interest. The Seeker could tell from her "outline". This woman was just that kind hearted.

"Thou need not express apologies. Curiosity… 'Tis only human nature." The Seeker spoke, her usual stoic expression curled into a very brief smile.

Saphron herself giggled at the response, leaping up onto her feet.

"I'm gonna go get breakfast ready for everyone. Do you want anything specific?"

Something specific..?

…

…

She didn't have anything in mind. So The Seeker shook her head.

"Alright then." The blonde woman nodded, heading back into the kitchen, "If I don't see you for the next while… Just remember… Since you've found that someone you're looking for, make sure you stick with them. Especially if it's a "special" someone." She winked before disappearing.

A special someone…

…

The Seeker moved her head towards the table, her hand grabbing the handle of the coffee mug as she raised it up to take a sip. She hummed a little afterwards, reflecting on the bitter taste of the hot beverage, the faint taste of milk, and a sweet taste to it. Sugar, from what she guessed.

Aside from that, she could feel the caffeine rushing throughout her brain, temporarily invigorating her.

So this is what coffee was, and its effects on people.

She found it fascinating.

The Seeker decided to quickly drink the rest of the cup of coffee, hearing a familiar voice outside midway through. When she finished, she stood up and headed towards the window to hear better.

Outside on the snowy streets, Dante, his mother Athyra, and Leonard were having a discussion, while the Lianna twins were waiting further along the street in the distance.

"You sure about this?" Dante asked.

"I'm sure." Leonard nodded, slinging his pack onto his shoulders, "It was about that time anyway."

"Leonard…"

"Brother… For the longest time, I let as though I was just lingering in your shadow. I mean, who could compete with The Great Dante, right?"

The young devil shook his head at his younger brother's statement.

"But that was then. Now? Now I just want to grow a little on my own, you know? Be my own man for a time without your help. I want to get stronger. Strong enough that I can stand next to you and Ciel without worry."

"You don't have to worry about stupid shit like that." Dante explained, "You're fine as you are."

"I can be better!" Leo exclaimed with a step forward, his boot crunching the snow beneath him, "I will be better. And to do that, I need to go out and get more experienced."

"Where do you even plan on going?"

"Backtrack the route we've been taking. Maybe deviate a little. If Vale's still standing, we'll pitch in to help out the effort, maybe even take back the whole city."

"Leonard…"

"Ambitious, I know. But… I feel like traveling back and giving it my effort will be a nice way to test myself in the end. To see how far I got." The younger sibling explained, "If I want to grow… this is the way for me to do it."

"Are you sure about this Leo?" Athyra asked with her arms crossed, "Is this what you really want to do?"

"Yes, mother." The teen nodded, "I want to be better. And after thinking about it for so long, I figured out this is the best way for me to improve."

"If that's what you want to do… The go for it kiddo. Just remember… While you're out there, it's about bettering yourself as a person. Give it your best out there."

Leonard nodded, looking to Dante as if he were asking for his older brother's approval.

"If this is what you want to do… Then do it. Just… be safe out there." Dante reached into his back pocket, pulling out a gray crystal shard about as thick as a normal pencil, "Apparently since you told Dawn head of us, she had this made for you. It's keyed into her staff, so if you need an emergency escape, you can teleport to her position. It acts as a two-way communication device as well, so if we need you, or you need us…"

"I'll keep it handy." Leo said, grabbing hold of the crystal, "But if anything, it'll be you calling on me for help soon enough."

Dante smirked a toothy grin, clasping his brother's hand to shake it firmly.

"Good luck out there, little brother. And try to partake in moderation." The devil nodded towards the Lianna twins.

"Like you're one to talk about moderation, brother."

"Go on, get outta here." Dante coaxed, pushing his brother forward, "Try and call at least once a week."

"Will do." Leo replied a final time before he rushed off to meet the Lianna twins.

Both mother and eldest son watched as the youngest Aetherveil sibling took off on a journey of his own. In a few short seconds, he and his two lovers had rounded a corner and were already out of sight.

"I swear… The whole bunch of us have a few screws loose." Athyra spoke with a smile on her face, "Mostly the men in the family."

"Like you're any better, you old witch?"

"Hah! I am better! I'm your mother, you dumb goober!" She said, slapping her son's back with enough force to make him guffaw.

"A gorilla too apparently…"

"You little shit..!" Athyra spoke as he headlocked Dante, using her other hand to stick two of her fingers in his nostrils and pull up, "I'm a beautiful, delicate flower! You got that punk?! Anything less is asking for an ass kicking of transcendent proportions!"

Finished with her brief torture session, the mother let go of her son, moreso threw him aside.

Thankfully, Dante found his bearings and landed on his feet.

"You're leaving too in a little bit, right?" She asked, looking in the distance to see the sun starting to peek over the mountains, "Incursion force… Shit kiddo…"

"It needs to be dealt with now rather than later. Letting them root in will only make it that much harder to burn them out later. Especially if a Knight or Lord is presiding over them. Fact is… that Witch we killed was one of them. She was freshly 'converted'. I could feel it in her Aura."

Athyra sighed, crossing her arms once again.

"If it really is an incursion, then we do need to deal with it. More specifically, you and your group need to deal with it, since I'll be helping with babysitting the rest of the kids." The mother explained, "You gonna stay a bit longer before you go?"

"I'm just waiting on Noland. After which, he, myself and The Seeker will meet up with our ally to go hunt down the invasion force."

"The Seeker, huh..? Why's she calling herself that?"

"She didn't have a name, and that's the one she liked best." Dante explained.

"Right right… She was on a mission to find you."

"Or someone like me. She called me… The Umbral Star."

Athyra fell silent, narrowing her gaze slightly as she looked to Dante with the corner of her eyes.

"She said the title exists for people like me that have Dark and Light perfectly blended in them. Hence 'Umbral Star'."

"That so…"

"In any case, because I'm this 'Umbral Star', she's sworn herself to me. 'I am here for thee and thee only', as she says."

"She speaks in an old fashioned way. That's pretty neat." Athyra added, "Well… Nothing left for you besides getting ready. Go on, get." She coaxed, round-kicking him in the rear.

"Delicate flower my ass…" The teen grumbled to himself, heading back inside.

As soon as the door closed behind her, the woman turned her gaze onto the coast in the distance, watching the first rays of sunrise dance across water.

"Umbral Star, huh…" she chuckled to herself, bowing slightly before she spun around and made for the door.

---

"Be here by first light, huh?" Dante grumbled, "And people say I'm always late."

The devil, Noland, and The Seeker stood near some trees outside of town, biding their time as the snow slowly fell around them.

"You do have a knack for arriving quite late. At least you make a dramatic entrance just about every other time you arrive." Noland replied.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're an irritating smartass sometimes?"

"A few times." The raven haired teen spoke, reading through pages of his grimoire, "I tend to ignore such comments though, considering most of the time they come from fools who have no idea what they're talking about."

And he calls me arrogant…

"The wait has ended."

Snapping his book shut, Noland stood up straight, prompting Dante to look towards town and see Sêrythîl walking their way.

"Been an hour since first light." The young devil noted.

"Yes yes, I know I'm late." The spear-wielder waved off, "Would you believe me if I said I slept in a little?"

"No."

"Hmph." Sêrythîl moved past Dante, looking to The Seeker, "Who's she?"

"A friend. She said she'd help me, and it doesn't seem like she'll go anywhere without me, so she's coming with us."

"Is she useful?"

"She is."

Dante didn't know that for sure, but he had to say something at least. Otherwise Sêrythîl might have objected, and then they would have wasted time arguing. Besides…

If The Seeker made the journey to find him, she had to have some sort of strength to her. Something he had yet to see.

"Very well then." Sêrythîl commented, walking ahead of the group and into the forest, "We'll keep walking until total darkness. Then, we set up camp, where I shall then train you for as long as you'll last."

"I don't need sleep."

"But I do. For the most part." The woman shrugged, "I'll train with you, show you my movements and even spar with you. I will then rest for a few hours until the sun rises. Since you said you don't need sleep, you can keep practicing in the meantime. If we are within short distance of our destination before three days, we'll remain where we are and accelerate your training in order to finish on time. After which, we'll attack these… Dark Entities head on and kill their leader."

"Sounds good to me." Dante agreed.

Sêrythîl chuckled, flashing a coy smile as she continued her pace into the forest.

"Then keep up, boy. The quicker we arrive the more time we'll have to train you."

The white haired teen sighed as he followed behind, The Seeker keeping pace with him as she walked beside the devil.

Noland trailed behind, but still kept close to the others by ten or so feet. With his abilities, it made sense for him to be the rearguard.

It won't be long now until it's mine again… I have to be careful when we get close. In particular, I must be careful with what I say to Dante. I doubt I can fool him if I outright lie to him. Which is why… I must speak the truth for the most part. Be forthcoming, yet not entirely.

Noland's eyes focused on the back of Dante as he kept his pace, his glance interrupted when The Seeker turned her head slightly in the raven haired teen's direction.

I see… Since she is loyal to Dane, no doubt she will protect him however she can if she senses anything seeking to threaten him. I haven't the slightest clue as to The Seeker's abilities, but… Every time I look at her face, and look at that metal binding across her eyes… I can't help but feel like my entire stomach has been gouged out…

Noland cast his eyes toward the ground, reminding himself to remain calm as he took in a quick breath and exhaled silently.

Dante… I've yet to make my final decision about you. But to be frank... My opinion of you is rather favorable compared to before. I've had time to see how you are for myself. And if anything… you are far from being the person I originally imagined. Which is why… I think the loyalty of your friends and family is more than well deserved. So in turn… I think I shall remain loyal as well. Yet I won't give up my dream. My life's goal.

The teen's hand grasped his can tighter as the bitter memories of the past briefly flooded his mind

At the very least… I won't go through with what I originally intended once I reach the end of my journey. I owe you that much at least.

He smirked to himself, remembering how far he had come. He smiled not only in remembrance of his personal milestone, but because soon enough, he would have the ace up his sleeve he desperately needed if he was to see the end of his mission.

I wonder what will happen when I get "there". Will I find my end? Or will I live to see another day?

"It's all so exhilarating in spite of the circumstances…" Noland whispered to himself, keeping a small smile on his face as he walked.

---

Now I know what you might be thinking.

And no, it isn't the Maiden in Black. I did however utilize her design for The Seeker and added a few twists and additions of my own.

Now, you must also be wondering "What's her story? What's her purpose?". The Seeker is something I had been thinking of for a month or two now, where I had a very specific, yet incomplete plan and course set for her. Inspiration struck me when looking over The Maiden in Black, and then I fleshed out The Seeker even further.

As of now, I'll be teasing bits and pieces of her personal story and what she can do. But the questions you're "seeking" (wink wink) answers to will more or less be answered soon enough. And by soon enough, I mean during the arc I have planned out for the events after Volume 7 in original RWBY. That arc will yet again be something new, something quite amazing, and something I've been looking forward to getting out to you all. And in that arc... Everything about The Seeker will be revealed.

Look forward to it.

With that, if you have questions, ask them anytime. I will try to answer them without spoiling anything.

Please remember to review, follow and favorite this story if you really enjoyed it and want to continue seeing more of it. And hey, even tell others about this story! Your support genuinely matters.

With that, I bid you all an excellent week/weekend!

And remember... Be kind and excellent to one another, stay safe, and stay healthy. Peace to you all.